Gemini second-half surge
Article content
When the press was on, the Tillsonburg Glendale HS Gemini senior girls were ‘on.’
“That was probably the best part of our game,” said Gemini’s Raelene Hopper after their TVRA South East basketball season opener Tuesday against Dorchester, a 40-33 loss. “We worked on it in practice and I think we’re doing really good with that.”
The full-court press, and their press variations, contributed to a second-half comeback that ultimately fell short, but provided a huge surge throughout the Gemini lineup.
“That last run, we were a lot more confident,” said Hopper. “In the beginning we were really, really timid. First game, just so shy. And this (Dorchester) team used to be really aggressive last year, so I think that’s also why we were timid.”
Offensively, the Gemini would like to see that confidence continue.
“We have a lot of new people and I think our offence will improve once we practice more,” said Hopper. “Once we got comfortable we played a little better today.”
Gemini co-coaches Adrian Carr and Kolin Jones agreed.
“The first half they were obviously a little nervous,” said Carr. “It’s a new system. And Dorchester shot real well. No. 12 (L. Haill) had three or four threes, and at halftime we had to make some adjustments and up the intensity.”
The Gemini closed the gap outscoring Dorchester 14-2 in the fourth quarter to make a serious run at a comeback.
“We got within a few – we had opportunities,” Carr noted. “Dorchester played really well, not to take anything away from them, but we had just a bunch of missed opportunities. A couple of those three-foot jumpers go in at the end and it’s a four-point game. But that’s basketball, sometimes you get the breaks, sometimes you don’t.”
Going forward, Carr said with a smile, they were hoping the ‘second-half’ version of their team would be back again.
The senior girls were scheduled to play at WCI Thursday afternoon.
BRACE-LESS
Tuesday’s game marked a high school first for Raelene Hopper, at least at the senior level – playing without a knee brace. It seemed last year’s Gemini seniors had a team full of braces.
“I have patellofemoral syndrome, but it’s better,” she explained. “My bone has stretched out the muscle and now it’s comfortable, so I don’t have to wear them.
“Mikaela (Gubesch) still wears a brace, but not all the time,” noted Hannah Hopper, as the sisters ran down a long list of last year’s brace-wearers.
“I skinned my knee so bad this game,” Raelene laughed, noting one of the drawbacks of brace-less basketball.
Gemini scoring: Victoria Hanson 21, Kaitlyn Vermeeren 4, J. Gilvesy 4, Raelene Hopper 2, Hannah Hopper 2